David Sedgwick

Hundreds of street lights have been replaced across the borough in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint.

Nearly 300 old street lamps have been replaced with new LED lighting thanks to a partnership between North Tyneside Council and SSE Enterprise, who manages street lighting on behalf of the authority.

The project is set to save the council £8,500 in energy costs each year and reduce carbon emissions annually by around 75 tonnes.

Coun John Stirling, cabinet member for Environment, said: “As a council, we continue to work extremely hard to reduce our carbon footprint.

“With help from our residents, staff and partners, last year we achieved a 23 per cent reduction in our carbon footprint. In total, we have now reduced our street lighting energy consumption by a third. By doing so, not only does it mean financial savings for the council, but a huge reduction in our carbon footprint.

“I’d like to thank SSE Enterprise for help with this scheme.”

George Marshall, lighting delivery manager for SSE Enterprise, added: “Through working together we have developed a strong partnership with the council. This is the first LED project we have worked with North Tyneside Council on, and we hope that the benefits that will be reaped will lead to further collaborations.”

A high tech central management system called Mayflower has been installed on 13,000 street lights and LED lighting has been placed in a number of public buildings.